The Easy Life in Kamusari (Forest)

by Shion Miura

Other authorsJuliet Winters Carpenter (Translator)

Paperback, 2021

Description

Yuki Hirano is just out of high school when his parents enroll him, against his will, in a forestry training program in the remote mountain village of Kamusari. No phone, no internet, no shopping. Just a small, inviting community where the most common expression is 'take it easy.' At first, Yuki is exhausted, fumbles with the tools, asks silly questions and feels like an outcast. Kamusari is the last place a city boy from Yokohama wants to spend a year of his life. But as resistant as he might be, the scent of the cedars and the staggering beauty of the region have a pull. Yuki learns to fell trees and plant saplings. He begins to embrace local festivals, he's mesmerized by legends of the mountain, and he might be falling in love. In learning to respect the forest on Mt Kamusari for its majestic qualities and its inexplicable secrets, Yuki starts to appreciate Kamusari's harmony with nature and its ancient traditions.… (more)

Publication

Amazon Crossing (2021), 205 pages

User reviews

LibraryThing member labfs39

Yoki Hirano graduates from high school with no plans for his future. His parents, absorbed with their first grandchild, bundle him off to a remote village to learn forestry. Astonished at his banishment to the backwoods, Yoki is at first resentful and tries to run back to Yokohama. But slowly the

villagers, the lovely Nao, and the forest itself become reasons to stay.

This was the first time I have read a Japanese young adult novel, and I might not have read it had I known. I'm glad I did, however. The author researched forestry and interviewed dozens of loggers in the course of writing the book, and I found the descriptions of the forest, the work the foresters do, and the Shinto rituals they practice to be fascinating. I'm inspired to do a little more research of my own.

The novel is rather male-centric, although given the nature of the job in the patriarchal society, it's not surprising. The women are portrayed as strong and, in the case of Nao, daring, but their stories are not explored. The village and the work is romanticized, rather like an ode to the life there. Social issues such as the aging of the rural population, the decline of the forestry industry, and the problems inherent in patriarchy are there, lurking in the subtext, but not unpackaged. I think this could have been a very interesting novel for adults if they had been.

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LibraryThing member quickmind

This was a fun little comfort read. Our protagonist, or more accurately, our narrator, Yuki, is forcibly given a job in a small village in the mountains, where he is taught the skill of forestry. The way of life described in this area is very laidback and rural, with few modern conveniences, but

the townsfolk have a deep connection to nature and the mountain upon which they reside. Yuki slowly learns about forestry, life in the village, and the people and their traditions. There's a bit of magical realism thrown in, with the gods of Mt. Kamusari making themselves known here and there. Overall it was a nice read, nothing too dramatic or exciting, but just comfortable and warm.

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LibraryThing member bell7

Yuki is eighteen and lacking purpose, so his parents send him to Kamusari to learn the forestry trade. At first reluctant and frustrated with the backwards ways of the country folk, he soon grows to appreciate their hard work and relaxed approach to life.

Narrated by Yuki, the story meanders along

over a year or so of him working and living in this community. Readers get a lot of fascinating details of forestry techniques, and are introduced to several of the townspeople that Yuki meets along the way. A comfortable, quiet read with moments of humor.

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LibraryThing member japaul22

This is a nice, short book about an 18 year old boy in Japan who is shipped off by his parents from his city life-style to try a job in forestry. The job is in a small community in the mountains and Yuki quickly realizes how different life is here. The people have different customs and beliefs, and

Yuki has never spent much time in nature. The writing is particularly well-done when describing the setting.

Overall, though, I was sort of bored reading this and even did a little skimming to finish this short book. It has a very simplistic tone and had a bit of a YA feel. A nice enough book, but I won't be running out to read the second one.

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